Distraction

Yes, distraction.

I have been finding myself distracted by numerous other things and thus haven't posted on here (or the other one) for over a year, yes a whole year. Its actually less than 3 months short of 2 years since the other blog had any attention, let a lone a post. 

See, distraction.

In my defence (I know I don't need one, but just in case I ever do) I have been super busy with other things, lots of other things. If you throw getting married and moving house into the mix too you can see why I may have been distracted. 

I also got distracted, well, distracted myself, when looking for a first image for this post. I was going to go on about not posting for so long due to liking the symmetry on my dashboard, no I don't have a new car, so can't blame that as a distraction too. Interestingly the new car (not that it is now) arrived on the day of the Brexit Vote (23rd June 2016).......

........so not long before the last post, but not since it so doesn't officially qualify as an excuse or distraction. I call it the brexit vote, of course its correct title was the "United Kingdom European Union membership referendum 2016" just rolls of the tongue doesn't it. Anyway my reason for bringing it up (the vote thing) is that I want to go into more detail about how the economy, housing situation and confidence in the government has been affected. I particularly want to examine, then, with the input of those who are reading this, carry out a detailed appraisal of.................. honestly I really really don't, another case of distraction I fear.

The dashboard I was actually talking about (prior to my distraction) was the blog dashboard. Refer to the stuff I a was going on about in the last post, all that time ago. With that in mind, I was going to post something along the lines of my delay in posting being based purely on the fact I didn't want to ruin the 14 plus 14 thing I had going on. As the post was going to start that way and be based around that I was looking for an image along the lines of "I wont lie to to you" because I would have been, at least initially, by saying the delay was due to keeping the symmetry and 14 - 14, before then going on to say "I cant lie" (and possibly including another image) and coming clean, keeping up, good. That was far too long a sentence, something I make a habit of, not just in the written form either, breath Neal, breath, stop distracting yourself too and get to the point.

So I started looking for said image and stumbled across the one that I started the blog with instead, because it tickled me when I saw it, see, distraction. 

I should add that I really am fine, very fine, or mighty fine in fact, it's just that the image tickled me. 

Will it be a year before the next post, will the blog get some attention layout wise, will the other blog ever get posted in again, for the answers to this and more, stay tuned.....

This post was bought to you by the letter d (for distraction), the number 15 (work it out, the clues are there) and the colour blue, not because I am (far from it) but its a good colour :-)

Happy Anniversary!

Let me start by saying I really don't like the "keep calm" trend that dictates you can seemingly now place the words in front of anything (and everything) to make it, more humorous?

Neither is the post linked in any way to love, despite the heart being present at the top of the image.

The image above purely exists to mark the wonderful occasion the ongoing neglect that is 2 years old today, It being that long since I last posted on this poor, cobweb riddled and dust covered blog.

I am tempted to have a rant about the vast array of products that now feature "keep calm" etc etc, I am also tempted to do a little piece about hearts (biologically and love related) but will refrain from these things for now, though will likely (if I post again within the next 2 years) produce a love related post, but more on that at the time.

So, 2 years eh, wow, what can I say, would it really matter or excuse the total disregard I have shown, does anyone really care, so many questions..........

Interestingly (at least I find it so) the last post (yes, 2yrs ago) made reference to my eyesight and the fact I was so proud of myself as I had been to the opticians that day and had been given the all clear, much to my surprise. Well, a few weeks ago, I repeated the exercise and this time (drum roll please)

Yes, I was given a pair of the finest glasses you ever could see, I couldn't, obviously, well, not without my glasses on but it appears that (as the Optician said to me) "its finally caught up with you" (meaning old age) (which incidentally I have known for a long while lol) and subsequently I now need reading glasses. To be fair, they have proved most beneficial (and clearly much needed) for reading and close up work. The flip side to this, is when looking at anything past about arms length while wearing them I seem to enter a strange world of distorted images with a degree of disorientation, not helpful. There is a remedy though, one that all you spectacle wearers will already be well aware of, the "end of the nose perch position" as I refer to it. This enables me to look at things and people in the distance, and also see things close up, by looking down my nose at them (not that way) although I am told (by some) it looks a bit disconcerting (probably a polite way of saying weird), still, I don't notice this, just those looking at me when I am doing it so I'm happy :-)

Prior to posting today, I took a quick peek at previous posts (including the first one) and remembered that I had said at some point I may well post a link to this (and my other) blogs predecessor, my first foray into blogging if you will. In theory a perfectly good idea, but first I had to find it (the predecessor) after all, its been a while and as you know (2 years since posting here) I am not the most active or attentive blog poster/owner. After a bit of hunting, I managed to find it and took a glance at some of the posts. I remember changing the layout and look of it when it was "decommissioned" so some of the images and videos don't "sit right" on the page (I'm being fussy) but it was good to look back at some of it. My reason for telling you all this, well, one is to post the link in case any one is bored interested enough to take a look (its there on the right under the "In the beginning" heading) as I said I would in my first post here, back in June 2011. The second reason, its an excuse to repost one of the photos I stumbled across on there as it made me smile, his name is Bob incidentally.......

On a warm day like today its probably a little odd to see snow, so focus on Dignity instead if you want (the red bug in the background) not the word, or song about a ship (good tune). He (Dignity, not Bob, he melted) is in Cornwall now with my (truly wonderful) son and has his own page on the internet (Dignity, not my son) made by his previous owner.

On a final note (I need to get on with other things and for reason and another its been a day of much writing) although I neglect my 2 current blogs, I don't think I was as bad with their "predecessor" at least not initially. It was only active for less than 2 years (8th Sept 2009- 28th May 2011) and had 94 posts during hat time, compare that to the same time period on this blog and its actually 94 more!

I will definitely definitely definitely not leave it so long next time, which thankfully gives me 729 days to play with until I need to post here again, I imagine it will be much sooner though, now I have reacquainted myself with "Neal by mouth"

Further ongoing neglect

However, last time I suggested I was being neglectful it had only been 3 months between posts, the longest gap to date is the 345 days prior to this post......

On this occasion, it has only been a mere 250 days between posts, while this is much longer than 3 months gap leading to me initially suggesting I was neglectful, it is not as long as the record 345 day gap. What can we take from this, anything you want really, I'm just supplying the facts, what you make of them is up to you (too much use of the word "this" so far, need to remedy this, that)

So where have I been? What have I been doing? Is it even interesting?

I would love to be able to tell you but unfortunately I am unable to for safety reasons, yours, not mine. If I started to divulge to you the events of the last 250 days of my life, I guarantee it would not take long until you nodded off, this, could obviously be dangerous, depending where you are reading. in saying that, its been (in general) a jolly good 250 days, I just cant be bothered to recount it all, it would take far too long, suffice to say there have been no changes you need to be aware of dear reader, if there were I would tell you, you know that.

Opticians, I went to see them today, well I am off for a few weeks (with 3 days work in between) so am using the time to catch up on things I need to do, opticians, dentist, BLOGGING and other assorted "I really must do that" things that have been put off. So why do I mention it, well for the past few weeks/months my lovely Fiancé has been of the opinion that I may need glasses. To be fair, I have been tending to agree with her, due to me doing odd things while holding things to read. I don't mean breaking into an impromptu version of the Riverdance, Michael Flatley I am not, nor do I mean thinking it would be lovely to visit Old Trafford and watch Gollum do his best to emulate old purple nose....... Sorry, my mind and fingers feel soiled now just typing it, eeuugghh, sends a shiver down your spine.

No, its none of those things, the odd things I have been doing are a sure sign of age, moving the item I am reading back and forth in front of me as I try to read it. This is something I have been doing at varying degrees recently and I genuinely thought I may need glasses in some shape or form. It turns out I was wrong though after receiving a clean bill of health today at the opticians. I was told my eyes are starting to deteriorate (its an age thing) and the "slowness in adjusting" that I demonstrate when reading things in certain light close up will only increase (can slowness increase, do I mean decrease, nope, I mean increase) but at the moment no further intervention is required. I am to return in 2 years, though if it gets bad before that I am to return sooner, either way, its good news. I'm deteriorating, degenerating and generally falling apart slowly as I get older, but I am still just about hanging on in there.

Countdown (no relation to Bob Holness)

Yes, only 20 days to go.

Until what you ask?

Until its been a whole year since I last posted, how lazy is that!

Actually its not really laziness, I have been somewhat busy with numerous other things. I spoke in my last post about a piece of “pre course work” I had completed, well, I have now completed the training that the pre course work preceded, with me? Good.

Suffice to say, undertaking this particular training (for almost 5 months) along with various other things that have been going on, has led me to put the blog on the back burner for a while a year (almost).

Have I missed it, ummmmm, in a way yes, its nice to have a medium (long while since I was that) to spout views, opinions and general nonsense. But if I'm completely honest, it hasn't been at the forefront of my thoughts for a while, other things have been much nearer the top of the “to do list”. So when I say missed, I possibly mean forgot, but not now. Now its no longer forgotten, its remembered and once again active.

Not sure how frequently I will post, or what about, but I certainly wont go (almost) a year again without posting.................

A form of neglect?



I know it could be seen as neglect, after all, it's been nearly 3 months since my last post, but I have a valid ish reason.

Not long after I last posted I started on a piece of “pre course work” for additional training I want to start next year (I wont go into details now but no doubt will at a later date). Anyway, this piece of “pre course work” consisted of a 10,000 word assignment that I had 10 weeks to complete.

Suffice to say the last thing on my mind during that time was writing anything extra (in the form of a blog post) so I didn't, hence the neglect.

Thankfully its completed and submitted (last week) so I feel I can now look a keyboard in the eye (???) again and tippety tap away on it making letters into words.

I do (like many) use a keyboard at times during work and also at times during leisure but I'm not one that writes, or should I say compiles a collection of words together (a big difference lol) for any other reason than if its work/academic/assignment based.

Well, one other reason, blog post related, but any one that has read this or any other post will know that they really are just a collection of words clumped together, still, keeps me amused..........